Ermanno Olmi (Italy/France/Germany)
The first few minutes, in which a slew of characters are introduced against a background no-less complicated than the alliances of duchies in 16th-century Italy, viewers may decide to just give up and go home. But hold on: Italian veteran Ermanno Olmi's historical movie slides you into its subtle slipstream. An account of the final days of Giovanni De Medici, the film evolves into a straight-forward but eloquent account of one man's life, as leader of the Papal mercenary army against the German invaders, in the midst of a treacherous time. Occasionally evoking the images of Titian and other Renaissance painters, Olmi's film does what historical films so rarely do - immerses you in another way of living and dying, far from our own. - L.L.

(Sat. Sept. 8, 12 p.m., Visa Screening Room, Elgin; Thurs., Sept. 13, 6:45 p.m., Varsity)